The primary goal of the present brief is to provide a conceptual framework to support UNDP’s engagement in policy debates on trust and position different strands of UNDP’s programmatic work in this space. After reviewing the importance of trust in public institutions, the following sections examine different meanings of trust as well as ways in which confidence in governance systems may be fostered. Possible implications for UNDP’s work are drawn in relevant sections throughout the paper. For any comments or feedback write to: oslo.governance.centre@undp.org